# Find the frequency of the lowest note a piccolo can sound

1. Mar 11, 2008

### ~christina~

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

The overall length of a piccolo is 32cm. The resonationg air column vibrates as in a pipe open at both ends.

a) find the frequency of the lowest note a piccolo can sound, assuming the speed of sound in air is 340m/s
b) opening holes in the side effectively shorten the length of the resonant colum. Assume the hightest not a piccolo can sound is 4,000 Hz. Find the distance between adjacent antinodes for this mode of vibration.

2. Relevant equations
open pipe harmonics
$$f_n= n \frac{v} {2L}$$

3. The attempt at a solution
first of all for
a) find the frequency of the lowest note a piccolo can sound, assuming the speed of sound in air is 340m/s

I'm not sure what would be the definition of lowest note. Do they mean sound.
thus the $$\lambda$$??

help?

Thanks

2. Mar 11, 2008

### tiny-tim

Hi christina!

The lowest note would be the one with the longest wavelength, which I think is the wave with a node in the middle of the column, and the maximum amplitude at both ends.

3. Mar 12, 2008

### ~christina~

I figured out part a) but how do I do part b?

Thank you.

4. Mar 12, 2008

### tiny-tim

Hi christina!

I think the fact that it's a 32cm piccolo is irrelevant.

Question (b) just asks you for the antinode distance (which would be the same as the node distance) for any 4000Hz sound wave in air.

5. Mar 12, 2008

### ~christina~

Hello tiny-tim